Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-17
pRENCH BALLET GIRLS.
,esiu Paris at the Ar9lual Com
osfition OF the Glasses.

,esiu Paris at the AT9Iual Com
petition OF the Glasses.
.oo, TIE PafiadslDAia Eeenia3 Telegraph.
euioyed the privilege. but rarely
nted TO a foreign spectator, OF Witness
on Christmas eve the Snnual COMPETE
or rather commencement, OF the
uer classes of the Grand Opera. 1t was
new experience to arrive al the Opera
usa At the hour OF noon and u be
nit,ed through the stage door. The
and Opera would not be thoroughly
ench institution did 1t not possess
o. so. on entering, l was greeted by
~ Danish hound, seated bolt upright
table. and locking big and ferocious
onYh TO deYUur all possible unauthor-
ed intruders, but gentle and playful as
uet kitten withal. Then a thre ading OF
nvriuthine passages ensues, termina-
~ IN the vast stage, from which Tue I'M
EHted auditorium looks dreary and
las, like, with It's boxes and arm-chaIrs
syyatned i'll gray holland. Presently l
M myself seated In one OF the orchestra
airs with motley crowd around me
inc shop-keepers, concierges, etc., the
Rrents and relatives of the elegant fai-
es that are to be judged and inspected
rcasjon that the new recruits for the
INNS de ballet are chosen by the man.
Ipers. and consequently there is a good
pal of interest aud anxiety manifested
the Young creatures and their rela-
Ions.
The male class comes first, numbering
#nlv eleven pupils, for the modern ballet
Excludes as much as possible that very
3readtul being, the male dancer: A good
boxing group OF boys are they, their ages
hanging from to 20, all clad alike in lull
4 bite shirts with turned-dOWn collars,
trousers of dark blue stockinet met at the
ankle bv white stockings, and low black
3noes. They gambOl and gyrate in sat-
1sfactory manner, showing good training
Id earning a certain amount of ap-
blausa. Then appears what may be cali
n the primary class OF the young girls,
here children most of them. aud all
dressed, as, indeed, all the girl pupils
hire, in Iresn and uniform ballet costumes,
blink silk tights, satin slippers, innumer-
BILE crisp tulle short skirts, and trim
bodces OF white tulle over pink silk, be-
ang. in fact, as well and carefully arrayed
rs are the mem bers OF the corps de bal
lei on the night of a first performance.
pIhe management supplies the dresses,
hnd the coltfeur OF the opera arranges the
hretty curlJ tresses, so the effect of so
many elegantly dressed children (there
|aIe seventeen in this first class is very
|clarming.
These first corners are DISTINGUISHED by
loops ana rOsettes OF scarlet satin ribbons
on their shoulders and at their waists.
Murmurs of "Is that your Cecille?"
SHOW pretty Jeanee loOksp 80 father,
see, there comes our MarieW are heard
around me as the scholars file past. They
60 through the stock eyolutiOns OF ordi-
nary ballet dancing SO prettily andgrace-
fully, and with such an added effect OF
freshness and sweetness from the youth
oil the dancers, that my mind goes back
TO my childish years, wnen the Niennese
children and their graceful evolutlons
used to delight the play-goers OF the
United States as they had done the audi
ences of the opera houses of Europe.
There was one little mite, not over years
old, who danced With such grace and pre-
cision as to delight everybody pres ant.
Then their eVolutions once ti1ished, the
little things, still in their aerial dresses,
come swarnfing into the auditorium to
witness the performances OF their more
advanced comrades, fitting from seat TO
seat amid the seni-obscurity like so
many white butterflies, and quite dis
tressed when anxious mammas insist
upon the shroudIng of their unwOnted
nnerv beneath clotn clOaks or knitted
shawls,
Then comes class No. .. Twenty pu-
pills, distinguished from their comrades
by white satin ribbons. Then succeeds
Class No. 3. with pink ribbons. Already
the impression Of youthful grace is
married here and there by tie aspect of
glrl with black shaded eyes, with dia.
monds sparkling in her ears, and with
heaVy gold bracelets on her arms. The
fourth class follows, wearing narrow
Wnlte oelts with silver buckles instead of
Inc ribbons that mark the junior classes
1nere are some future artistes revealed
among these last, graceful, aerial. fin
isned dancers, that will undoubtedly
soon be transferred to the boards fthe
opera from their teachers room. Last of
al appear the graduates. ssven in num-
per, white wild flowers adjoining their
neans es their distinctive mark. They
nance charmingly, being well taught ana
" naturally graceful, and two or three of
Ihem are exc .edingly pretty. They are
greatly applauded, and come out to &C
knowledge the applause, leading their
Leacher, Nine. Merante, a stout, short
sluefly lady, by the hand. She was for
merry leading dancer at the opera, but the
alry grace of step ana mien have departed
ith her youth and beauty.
Here let ne remark that there Is no
'thef class OF artists in the world that 80
soon lose every gift aud grace of their
procession as do X-ballet dancers. | have
seen aged singers whose method still lent
.Helr slnglng potent charm when the
'olce itseil had we'll nigh wholly departed,
Ahd elderly actor 5 and actresses that pre-
When reading or reciting the grand
VI Oh tnelr prime. But the famous dancer
,ugDt to die, like the butterflies. when
ne sumner days of her grace and youth
.re at IA end. Some months ago Nine.
yerlto was pointed out to me at a morn
ng concert-a fat, crippled old woman,
= itn her lace distorted by the effects of
al from her carriage some years ago, and
one vestlge left of the radiant
y Jpn VINO was the latest to maintain the
'oetlc traditions OF the ballet as created
y Iaghoni and Fanny Elisler.